Furthermore!
I openly admit I don't quite grasp the junior officer's conspiracy with the slave at the end of "V.R.T." The slave understands it, whatever it is, and the officer sees that the slave understands it. This reflection makes the slave understand that he is now set for life, that he won't be sent to the deadly pseudo-silk processing factory where he was once before (sounds like a story in that, don't it?).
The junior officer (a second lieutenant or first lieutenant?) is somehow "sticking it to" the commandant in front of the visiting general at dinnertime.
If the commandant is the "major" who snatched Cassilla from him . . .
If the assignment was an impossible "damned if you hang him, damned if you free him" task which was supposed to ruin the officer's nights for a week (allowing the major to dally with Cassilla in his place) if not ruin the officer's career . . .
Or if the commandant wanted him to make a specific desision (i.e., the government really wants an x vote or a y vote) . . .
Then the officer, coming up with a third alternative (do nothing)
. . . says ha! I cut the Gordian Knot and also did the nasty with the girl.
. . . and/or ha! Back in your court, buddy--explain to the general here how and why you handed this tar baby to me.
(And thus we have another possible usurpation of the throne: this time, the leadership of the garrison. As opposed to the leadership of 666 in "The Fifth Head" or leadership of the wetlanders in "A Story.")
Please explain, anybody.
Thanks in advance!
=mantis=